Structuring a cutting cycle

Many people want to lose their bodyfat and get ripped, but few know how to structure their diet in order to get the best results possible in terms of muscle retention and fat loss. So I thought I'd share the structure of any cutting diet with you and you can use this simple maths and a calculator to get exactly the right amount of macro nutrients and calories in your diet in order to get shredded in 5-8 weeks.

Okay so first things first you need to workout your calorie limit.
Find your body weight in pounds -(weight in kilos x 2.2) then multiply this number by 11. That is your max calorie intake per day!
For example I weigh 85kg, which is 187 pounds, so my max calories is - 2057kcals

Now onto the macro-nutrients.
Protein is simple it is a gram per pound of body weight, so mine would be 187g per day max.
Carbs is also reasonably simple to work out, multiply your bodyweight in pounds by 0.6, so mine would be 187 x 0.6 = 112.2 grams of carbs per day max.

This is where most peoples cutting diets fall short and they start to sacrifice huge amounts of muscle.
In order to lose weight you need to increase the amounts of healthy fats that you eat! This is true and heres why. In order to prevent cortisol atacking your muscles for an energy source yo ave to provide an alternative, this is usually carbs, but as we have reduced carbs in the diet, fats are the best alternative. Secondly if the brain detects increased fat cosumption and I mean healthy omega 3 fats and ployunsaturated fats then it is more likely to burn excess bodyfat as it is no longer a rare component of the diet.
So how much fat should I be eating? well you need to make your macronutrients equal your total calories, so you must first workout how much you have already from the protein and carbs.
To do this add both totals together, e.g 112.2 + 187 = 299.2
then multiply this by 4(the amout of calories per gram of carbs and protein) 299.2 x 4 = 1196.8

Then take this value away from your total calorie figure. 2057-1196.8 = 860.2
then divide this by 9 (number of calories in fats) to get the amount of fat in grams you should be getting in your diet. 860.2/ 9 = 95grams

So to sumarise
calories = 2057kcals (bodyweight x11)
protein = 187g   (bodyweight)
carbs = 112.2g   (bodyweight x 0.6)
fats = 95g           (left over calories / 9)

These figures represent the max values you should be taking per day, aim to get close to the fats and protein, but don't worry if you fall short on the carbs every few days, just don't go over this!

Tuna Steaks

This is a meal I had at the weekend after a tough shoulder session and it was the most satisfying meal I had had all week. Not only does it taste great but it is packed with protein and healthy fats. I combined the steaks with red peppers stuffed with sweet corn and cous cous and mushrooms. This added a lot of vitamins and essential micronutrients that your muscles need to grow as well as carbs to help recovery post workout.

Nutritional values:

Protein – 72 grams

Carbs – 68 grams

Fats – 12 grams

The tuna really helps with muscle gains being a low carb fish source of protein it really allows all of the steak to be converted into amino acids which are essential for post workout muscle growth and recovery. The vitamin D in the mushrooms will also aid testosterone levels and hopefully lead to muscle gains. As for the carbs they help muscle recovery and as they are taken post workout they should be absorbed by the muscles and converted into glycogen which will be seriously depleted following a tight and intense workout.

To prepare all you need to do is cook the steaks and mushrooms in a pan for 4 minutes each side, and then let them sit in the pan for a few minutes. Mean while you need to slice the red pepper in half, and grill it for a few minutes, then stuff it with cous cous and sweet corn. Then it’s all ready to serve.

Beating cortisol

Many of you will be wary of this stress hormone - 'cortisol'. The dreaded hormone that breaks down muscle for energy after approximately 1 hour of an intense workout and can wash away any gains you made prior to this in the gym. However getting the right nutrients pre and post workout can help to prolong the time it takes for your body to release it and how much of it is produced, therefore allowing a longer, more effective workout.

Many of you are propably doing a session of about 20 sets maximum per muscle group in order to stop his cortisol being realeased, but this reduces the amount of muscle fibres you recruit and damage and so less is repaired and less growth occurs post workout. So to allow you to reach 30 sets try these nutrition tips.

1. Protein. High quality sources of protein can help to decrease cortisol production. Whey proein, eggs, lean meats all contain amino acids that are essentila to survival. By taking 15-30 grams of protein every 3 hours you body will begin to reduce the levels of cortisol it has ready to release into the blood stream when your body is under stress.

2. Having low GI carbs such as wholemeal toast, whole meal pasta or oats post workout will reduce the levels of cortisol that the body produces, as long as you avoid sugary foods and stop any insulin spikes then your body will not release very much cortisol and so you will reduce the loss of muscle caused by this hormone.

3. Keep getting healthy fats. Not only do these fats like omega 3 increase testosterone levels that we need to gain muscle, but they also reduce cortisol production, dont over do it though or you may actually increase your stress levels due to increased fat gains.

4. Vitamin C. This has been proven to not only reduce cortisol levels in the body, but it also delays its release allowing us to train longer and harder. make sure you are getting your 5 a day to ensure your vitamin c levels are naturally kept high all day.

5. Green tea. This contains theanine, which has a  tranquilizing effect in the brain, theanine is a unique amino acid found in the leaves sencha. This in turn reduces the effects of the stress hormone cortisol.

Therefore I suggest a new style of post workout shake for those of you looking to gain some size and strength. I am currently having this concoction:
1 scoop of whey protein
30 grams of porridge oats
1 sachet of green tea
300ml of water

This combines the low GI carbs, over 20grams of protein, and the theanine in green tea to help reduce the effects of cortisol post workout and provides my muscles with not only the protein and carbs that it needs but it also has a minor thermogenic effect to burn a little body fat due to the protein, water and green tea. Try it.

Holiday Workout

Well seeing as the summer is fast approaching and many of you will soon be jetting off on your holidays to relax and enjoy the sun I thought I’d share a simple, no kit needed workout that I used last year on holiday that helped keep of the holiday pounds that many of us gain whilst away. It’s a simple bodyweight circuit style workout that should only take 30-40minutes at most, and can be extended or shortened to suit your own personal liking.

Workout:

1. Press ups – 4 sets to failure with 30 seconds rest periods in between sets.
2. Sit ups – either complete 100 reps or go until failure
3. The next part is a superset move: do four sets of each

-         Jump squats: do a set of 20 reps of standing squats to below 90 degrees and then explode upwards into a jump, landing back into the next squat.

-         Incline press ups: feet on the bed, hands shoulder width apart, do 20-30 reps

4. The plank – hold for 2 minutes or until failure
5. Second superset moves for 3 sets each this time.

-         Lunges: simply lunge forward onto one leg and drop down until the knee is below 90 degrees and then power back up to a standing position with feet back together, repeat 10 times for each leg.

-         Tricep press ups: press up position with hands close together so that when you lower yourself your elbows bend above your hands at a 90 degree angle but keep the arms tucked into your sides. Do each set to failure.

6. Finish with v- shaped crunches to failure.

Not hard enough? Then try adding weight to the press-ups, even in the form of a suitcase or backpack on your back or get a friend or sibling to sit on your back for an even harder workout. With the squatts and lunges again add weight, holding a suitcase above your head will also activate your core.

Finally for the abs exercises you can always hold the plank for longer or do more repititions of a certain move to get an extra pump.

This is a good quick workout that can be done in your room in the hotel and requires nothing more than a bed to complete the workout. Hopefully it will elp keep you lean before you hit the pool or beach, or even a a pre-pump before heading out for the night.

Gym tunes

Okay so I thought I'd give you a slightly different post today. Everyone has a particular song or genre of music that realy gets them going in the gym so I thought I'd share my top 5 tunes and also have a look at top songs from a few people who I know have checked out this blog before.

Okay, so my top 5:
1. W&W - Alpha
2. Skillet - Hero
3. John O'callaghan - Find Yourself
4. Rise Against - Satelite
5. Professor Green ft. Example - Monster

All great tunes that get my blood pumping and keep me pushing in the gym.

A few songs suggested by others now include:
Roy Jones jr - cant be touched
David Guetta - Titanium
Avicci - Enough is enough
Hardwell - spaceman
Gareth Emery - concrete angel
Elle golding  - Lights

Again great songs for a hard workout, or cardio that realy keep you going right until the end. Check out the video below to get a better idea of these awesome pumping tunes.

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Green Tea

What is in green tea?

Tannins - A group of simple and complex phenol, polyphenol, and flavonoid compounds. Produced by plants, all of the tannins are relatively resistant to digestion or fermentation. All tannins act as astringents, shrinking tissues and contracting structural proteins in the skin and mucosa. This in turn will aid digestion and uptake of essential nutrients that your body needs.

Catechins - Catechins are a category of polyphenols. In green tea, catechins are present in significant quantities, with epigallocatechin gallate making up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be the most powerful of the catechins - with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E! By having this powerful anti-oxidant in your system after a heavy workout is just what you need to stop any free radical damage.

Flavonoids - Flavonoids are plant pigments, and are the brightly colored chemical constituents found in most fresh fruits and vegetables. They may aid in protecting against infection. Deficiency can result in a tendency to bruise easily.Simply this will help keep you healthy and ready for the next session.

Theanine - An amino acid that produces tranquilizing effects in the brain, theanine is a unique amino acid found in the leaves sencha. Theanine is quite different from the polyphenol and catechin antioxidants for which green tea is typically consumed. It should leave you with a peaceful feeling without compromising motivation and mental activity.

When to take it?

Pre-workout - Green tea is a great alternative to the usual pre-workout pumps that we are exposed o now more than ever. The green tea is great because it does have some caffeine and the Theanine really relaxes you mentally but lets you perform physically. This lets you remain calm and focused during your work out and will help to reduce the release of Cortisol after a workout and thus less muscle damage.

Cutting - Research suggests that supplementing with green tea can raise your resting metabolic rate by 3%. In order to get this benefit you must have about about 3 glasses a day. If you have a bmr of 2000 or so that means 60 extra calories a day. Okay so its not much but throw it in with a post workout shake and the effects do rapidly increase as it prolongs the effects of the higher metabolic rate boost in your training.

Dont like the taste? Then have it with a shake, add one scoop of whey protein and pour in a sachet of green tea, add water, shake and enjoy! Or put in in a smoothie, or of course you could just man up and drink the thing.

MMA workout

Okay so to start things off you want to be getting as many muscle groups involved in a quick but effective warm-up. Try doing press ups for 30 seconds, then sit-ups and star jumps or burpies for 30 seconds each. That should get the blood flowing. Then get a good stretch, particularly your legs and arms. (check out recovery page for effective kickboxing stretching routine)

Part 1- Shadow Boxing: simply practice your moves on an invisible opponent, try using various combinations of kicks and punches to get a full body workout. Do this for 1 set of 3 minutes, and keep it intense.

Part 2 – Skipping: Do this exercise 3 times at 3 minute sessions with 1 minutes rest in between. See the video below for a good way to structure each 3 minute set, to get a great fat burning effect.

Part 3 – Ground and Pound: a fun and effective calorie burner. This 1 minute session allows you to burn fat and take your anger out on the bag whilst practicing your transitions and strikes in a short intense session. Do 4 sets of 1 minute intervals with 30 seconds rest between sets.

Part 4 – Ladder Runs: this is a great footwork and cardio move. Run sideways along the ladder, putting both feet between each rung. Once you reach the end you drop into a press-up position before exploding up and performing an outside foot front kick. Then run back along the ladder and kick with the opposite leg.

Part 5 – Shadow Boxing: For the final 3 minutes you need to do a final round of shadow boxing, try to keep the tempo up and keep alternating your punches and kicks, The more moves you do the higher your metabolism gets as you are recruiting more muscle fibres!

End with some more stretches, again give priority to arms and legs as they are the two main areas you will work in this session. Check out the video for a visual explanation of the workout.

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